Malik Willis may be entering his first season with the Miami Dolphins as the starting quarterback, but that doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to last the entire season.
The 27-year-old quarterback signed a big deal with the Dolphins in the offseason, inking a contract for $67.5 million across three years. Not a bad deal for a quarterback that’s never been a full-time starter and who started just three games over the past two seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Willis will be joining former Packers figures Jeff Hafley — who is the new head coach — and Jon-Eric Sullivan — who is the new general manager — in Miami as they try to rebuild the franchise into a winning program in the post-Tua Tagovailoa era.
However, as Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox writes in his article of eight quarterbacks who could be benched, Willis is among those names mentioned.
Knox mentions Willis’ lack of experience and the fact that the Dolphins have a stripped down roster devoid of major talent. In fact, gone are stars such as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The only remaining star piece on offense is De’Vone Achane.
“Willis showed a ton of potential during his time with the Packers,” said Knox. “While he only made three starts in two seasons, he posted a 134.6 passer rating while flashing elite dual-threat ability. He has the potential to be Miami’s quarterback of the future, and the Dolphins are likely to give him the entire season as an audition. Of course, it’s worth remembering Willis struggled mightily (49.4 QB rating) during his two years with a bad Tennessee Titans team before arriving in Green Bay. After purging the roster of talent in the offseason, Miami is probably closer to those Tennessee teams than what Willis had over the past two years with the Packers.”
Why Malik Willis Could Be Benched During 2026 Season
Willis’ lack of experience and the Dolphins’ lack of a quality supporting cast — Bleacher Report considers the Dolphins to be the second-worst team in the NFL — is a legit concern entering the 2026 season.
It’s worth mentioning that outside of his limited number of starts in Green Bay as Jordan Love’s backup, Willis has started just six games in his four-year NFL career. He’s just 3-3 as a starter and has six passing touchdowns against three interceptions to go along with 405 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
There’s little doubt about Willis’ dual-threat abilities and talent, which is why he was the third quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL Draft and was once considered the Tennessee Titans‘ future franchise quarterback. But there are still questions of whether or not he’s capable of being a starting quarterback since he has such a blank resume.
What It Will Take for Dolphins to Bench Malik Willis
While the potential of Willis having an up-and-down season in Miami is a big possibility, the fact that he has his former Packers coach and executive leading the way for the Dolphins will give him extra wiggle room for error. The fact that Miami doesn’t have any expectations of contending this season will also give Willis even more cushion as the starting quarterback.
The reality is that the Dolphins are in full rebuild mode. There is no other quarterback on the roster — former seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers is the top backup — that appears ready to lead an NFL team as the starting quarterback.
Willis isn’t guaranteed to start all 17 games, but it’s going to take some really bad performances for the Dolphins to bench him in favor of Ewers or another quarterback.
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